Public warned of Hepatitis A exposure at eatery

Anyone who ate at the McDonald's restaurant inside a Walmart at 3412 College Ave. on Aug. 25, 26, 27 or 30 may have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus, county health officials said.

People who may have been exposed to the virus are advised to consider getting a hepatitis A vaccine from their doctor if they haven’t been immunized already, county Public Health Officer Dr. Wilma Wooten said in a news release.

People without health insurance can be vaccinated for the virus at the county’s Central Region Public Health Center, 5502 University Ave. in San Diego. A special vaccination clinic is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at that location.

“The risk to the public is low, but anyone who ate at the restaurant on those dates and times should be aware of the signs and symptoms of hepatitis A,” Wooten said. “Anyone who has been immunized with the hepatitis A vaccine or previously had the disease is considered protected from the virus.”

The state Department of Public Health doesn’t routinely recommend vaccination after a restaurant food handler has been found with the virus because the the spread of the disease to customers is unlikely. But Wooten said patrons who have not been previously immunized should consider getting the vaccine no later than two weeks after exposure.

Hepatitis A is inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus. Symptoms of the disease can show up two to seven weeks after exposure and vary in severity from a mild illness to severe symptoms requiring hospitalization, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Common symptoms include a low-grade fever, appetite loss, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, dark urine, light-colored stools, jaundice or pain in the upper right abdomen. Most people recover from the virus within three months, although in rare cases the virus can cause death, according to the CDC.

People usually catch hepatitis A by ingesting fecal matter — even microscopic amounts — by coming in contact with food, drinks or objects contaminated by someone with the virus. Handwashing is critical in preventing spread of hepatitis A. Health officials advise always washing your hands after using the restroom, changing diapers, or cleaning up the stool of an infected person. People in close, continual contact with an infected person are at higher risk of getting the illness.

The hepatitis A vaccine is the preferred preventive treatment for healthy people between the ages of 1 and 40 years old. Either the vaccine or immune globulin may be used for those 41 to 59 years of age. The immune globulin is preferred for people age 60 and older, babies less than a year old, and anyone who is immune compromised or has chronic liver disease.

For more information about hepatitis A call the county Health and Human Services Agency’s Epidemiology Program at (619) 692-8499, or go online to www.cdc.gov and search for “Hepatitis A.”